Larry Sager
Larry Sager is the Alice Jane Drysdale Sheffield Regents Chair at the University of Texas, Austin Law School. He was previously dean of the law school from 2006-2011.[1]
Dean of University of Texas law school
Sager served as Dean of the University of Texas, Austin law school from 2006-2011.[2]
Resignation
On December 8, 2011, Sager resigned from his position as Dean of the University of Texas, Austin law school. Bill Powers, University of Texas, Austin President, demanded Sager's resignation regarding a forgivable loan scandal.[3] The primary issue was the law school's salary stipends and "forgivable loans" that were meant as incentives to recruit and keep faculty. "The fact of the matter is, and there's no two ways about this fact, that I resigned now because I was asked to by the president of the university," Sager said.[4]
A total of 22 professors, including Sager, received six-figure forgivable loans or other payments. At the time of Sager's resignation, 19 members of the law school faculty were paid more than $300,000 per year. From 2006-2011, the University of Texas Law School Foundation -- an entity that is legally separate from the law school -- gave out more than $4.6 million in forgivable loans. Sager himself received a $500,000 loan from the foundation.[5][6]
Former University of Texas General Counsel Barry Burgdorf issued a report in November 2012 after investigating the forgivable loans program. In that report,[7] University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall called the report "insufficient" and said that it did not provide the full story. In a July 2013 letter to State Representative Jim Pitts, University of Texas Regent Eugene Powell detailed a previously unrevealed letter regarding the forgivable loans program that was not included in Burgdorf's report. The letter, which was addressed to University of Texas Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, was written by several female faculty members of the law school requesting an investigation into "two hidden salary systems that our dean has used during the last five years to hide salary raises and to discriminate against women and minorities in our institution." The letter was reportedly forwarded to Burgdorf.[8][9]
Wallace Hall impeachment
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Sager's forgivable loans situation resurfaced in 2013 during the investigations of University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall.
After he was appointed in 2011, University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall began looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the University of Texas system. Hall investigated the university's forgivable-loans program and admissions policies and preferential treatment to politically-connected individuals.[10] Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the University system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed.[11] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden.[12][13] However, a letter from University chancellor Francisco Cigarroa in February 2014 said that Hall likely requested fewer than 100,000 pages.[14][15] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. This is simply not true."[16]
An effort was begun in June 2013 to try and impeach Hall from his position as regent. Some legislators are justifying the impeachment on the grounds that Hall did not disclose several lawsuits that he was involved in when he originally completed his Regent background check. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list.[17][18] The lack of lawsuit disclosure by Hall is not unique -- more than 9,000 lawsuits were not disclosed by other appointed Texas officials.[19] No unelected official in Texas has ever been successfully impeached or removed from office.[20] Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees.[21] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater."[22] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached.[23]
In March 2013, the Board of Regents voted to re-open the forgivable loans investigation. This action was approved by regents Wallace Hall, Brenda Pejovich, Paul Foster and Alex Cranberg. Some legislators including Judith Zaffirini (D), Trey Fischer (D) and Kevin Eltife (R) criticized the action as a waste of taxpayer funds. In one specific email exchange among the FOIA'd documents, University of Texas Budget Director Mary Knight emailed President Powers in June 2009 about salaries of UT officials. The email specifically mentioned Sager, with Knight writing: "note: Sager was included due to his $100K per year deferred compensation over 5 years." The email refers to the $500,000 forgivable loan that Sager received which eventually contributed to his forced resignation. While Powers maintained that he had been unaware of the loan until the official UT report was conducted, some regents believe that the email from Knight in 2009 proves otherwise.[24][25]
In February 2015, an independent report by Kroll Associates, commissioned by the Regents Board, confirmed a "pattern of special treatment for well-connected applicants to UT." While the report did not show evidence of any quid pro quo, it did show that "extra acceptances were extended every year to accommodate special cases" and that the "President’s Office ordered applicants admitted over the objection of the Admissions Office." It added that "efforts were made to minimize paper trails and written lists" during the process." The Wall Street Journal wrote that the report should "should put an end" to the concerns over Hall's clout investigations.[26]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Sager is married to Jane Cohen. They have nine children.[2]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Official Texas Biography
- Category of articles at Above the Law
- Profile on Etsy
Footnotes
- ↑ University of Texas, "Larry Sager Biography," accessed November 6, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 University of Texas, Austin Law School, "Lawrence Sager Appointed as Dean of UT Austin School of Law," May 10, 2006
- ↑ New York Times, "University of Texas President Ends Tough Year With Yet Another Battle," December 15, 2011
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT President Asks Law School Dean to Resign Immediately," December 8, 2011
- ↑ National Jurist, "UTexas dean resignation raises questions about compensation practices," December 19, 2011
- ↑ Austin American Statesman, "UT law dean forced to step down," December 8, 2011
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT Law's Forgivable Loans to Faculty "Not Appropriate,"" November 13, 2012
- ↑ Texas Monthly, "Gene Powell’s Letter to Jim Pitts," July 16, 2013
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Wallace Hall: The TT Interview," June 25, 2013
- ↑ American Spectator, "Transparency for Thee," October 25, 2013
- ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Facing impeachment, Regent Wallace Hall defends actions in debate with Sen. Kirk Watson," September 28, 2013
- ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Former UT System vice chancellor alleges Regent Wallace Hall’s ‘clear intent to get rid of Bill Powers’," October 24, 2013
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "UT regent sought 800,000 documents, official says in impeachment hearing," October 22, 2013
- ↑ Watchdog, "‘Witch hunt’ fallout: Speaker calls for narrower public records law," February 5, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT System Responds to Transparency Committee Directives," February 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Cigarroa letter to the Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations," February 1, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Updates Lawsuit Disclosures," April 30, 2013
- ↑ Real Clear Policy, "The Campaign Against Wallace Hall," August 15, 2013
- ↑ Watchdog.org, "Case against UT regent Wallace Hall is a sham — here’s proof," September 6, 2013
- ↑ News-Journal, "University of Texas regent not worried by impeachment inquiry," September 9, 2013
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Transparency Committee to Mull Impeachment of UT Regent," June 25, 2013
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Perry Blasts Impeachment Probe of Wallace Hall," October 30, 2013
- ↑ Texas Public Radio, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Will Testify In Impeachment Hearing," November 13, 2013
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "UT email exchange may provide key to controversy," March 24, 2013
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Perry-UT power struggle intensifies," March 25, 2013
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Texas Admissions Rumble," February 12, 2015
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